3 September 14-20, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ FORT LAUDERDALE FOGGED UP LAWSUITS CLAIM FUMIGATION CAUSED STEAK-HOUSE WORKERS’ PARKINSON’S DISEASE. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN S ix former employees of Chuck’s Steak House say they developed Parkinson’s disease from expo- sure to pesticides at the now- shuttered eatery’s South Florida restaurants, which allegedly had a habit of fu- migating before staff wrapped up their shifts. The claims are outlined in a string of Bro- ward County lawsuits that allege the restau- rants “regularly fumigated...while employees were still inside during nightly closing opera- tions.” Staff would find pesticide remnants on kitchen surfaces and smell the chemicals in the air when they returned the day after pest con- trol applications, according to the complaints. Several of the former Chuck’s workers had no family history of Parkinson’s disease, the lawsuits claim. Two of them were allegedly diagnosed before the age of 50, an early onset that’s unusual for Parkinson’s, a disabling neurological condition that causes tremors, immobility, and muscular stiffness that worsen over time. The plaintiffs include former Chuck’s manager Richard Naylor, who worked for the restaurant for more than 40 years until the restaurant’s last chain closed in August 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. He says he received his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2005 at age 49 while he was still employed by the steak house. The claimants are represented by attorney Christopher Rover at the law firm of Krupnick Campbell. “It’s not like they had any awareness of this issue at the time. They were just doing their jobs,” Rover tells New Times. “Naylor started to contact other people who used to work there and found out that seven people who worked at Chuck’s had Parkinson’s. Some of them have it very bad and have diffi- culty speaking.” The law firm is aiming to track down which specific pesticides were used at the restaurants so the plaintiffs can bring claims against the chemicals’ manufacturers. Among the plaintiffs are a server who worked for Chuck’s from 1985 to 1995 and a bartender-waitress who worked for the res- taurant for roughly seventeen years begin- ning in 1981. The six plaintiffs were diagnosed with Parkinson’s between 2005 and 2020, according to the pleadings. “Obviously, this is a very unfortunate thing,” Rover says. “They needed a voice.” Daniel O’Brien, a musician who played at the Chuck’s Steak House location on 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale for about nine years, says he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012 at age 58. He says that when he spoke with Naylor between December 2021 and early 2022, he learned of the cluster of former employees afflicted with the disease. “It was then that Mr. O’Brien realized his long-term exposure to pesticides while work- ing at Chuck’s had likely caused his Parkin- son’s disease,” O’Brien’s lawsuit alleges. A seventh former employee who suffers from the disease is not participating in the lit- igation, Rover says. Though the plaintiffs were diagnosed years ago (in some instances outside the four-year statute of limitations), they maintain the legal deadline for their cases’ filing should be calcu- lated from the moment when they realized their neurological conditions were allegedly caused by the workplace pesticide exposure. The sole defendant in the case as of Sep- tember 5 is Pestco Pest Control Inc., a local commercial pest control outfit that allegedly serviced Chuck’s locations. The company and its counsel have not responded to re- quests for comment. Rover says Chuck’s Steak House and its former owner are not currently listed as de- fendants because the former employees no longer have remedies available to them under workers’ compensation law. New Times was unable to reach the restaurant’s former owner for comment. Though the lawsuits have yet to pinpoint what chemicals were applied in the Chuck’s restaurants, some studies have identified a potential link between certain pesticides and Parkinson’s disease. A report published in May by researchers from Harvard University and University of California–Los Angeles identified ten pesti- cides that “significantly damaged neurons implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease.” “The death of these neurons is a hallmark of Parkinson’s,” reads a press release about the study. A meta-analysis of 19 studies published be- tween 1989 and 1999 found pesticide exposure was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The first Chuck’s Steak House opened in 1974 at the Southeast 17th Street location in Fort Lauderdale before the restaurant ex- panded to Plantation, Boca Raton, and its other Fort Lauderdale outpost on Commer- cial Boulevard. The Chuck’s on Commercial Boulevard was the last remaining location until its closing in 2020. | RIPTIDE | GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS Half a dozen claimants are alleging they developed a severe neurological condition from pesticide exposure at various Chuck’s Steak House locations. Photo by Filippo Bacci/Getty Images ▼ SOUTH FLORIDA TWO WHEELS BAD? BRIGHTLINE BANISHES BIKES FROM ITS TRAINS. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN I f you’re planning to take Brightline down to Miami, you may want to bring some extra cash because your options to travel on the cheap from the train station to your final destina- tion just got slimmer. As of September 5, fully assembled bicycles and electric bikes are no longer permitted on Brightline trains, the company announced. “Bicycles and e-bikes, due to their size and configuration, have presented challenges in terms of space within our train compartments,” a Brightline representative tells New Times. “The new bike policy will help alleviate these con- cerns, resulting in a more enjoyable experience for all passengers.” The change comes after a spike in ticket prices: A round-trip weekday fare from Fort Lau- derdale to Miami via Brightline routinely costs more than $50 during peak commuting hours. The policy is a shift from Brightline’s previous bike-friendly stance that allowed passengers to bring their bike onboard at no extra charge — and some are not pleased with the backpedal- ing. “Brightline claims to be ‘the only provider of modern, eco-friendly intercity rail in America.’ That is quite an assertion for a company not per- mitting fully assembled bicycles and e-bikes,” a member of the Miami Bike Scene collective tells New Times. “There is absolutely nothing ‘mod- ern’ or ‘eco-friendly’ about running trains not equipped to carry fully assembled bicycles.” Riders already don’t have many choices for their post-train transportation given that Bright- line’s local shuttle service is limited to trips to Mi- ami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and the Aventura mall, which cost $10 per solo rider. Brightline’s electric mini-cars will take you to your destination only if it’s within a mile of the train station, according to the Brightline website. Apart from those options, Magic City com- muters can snag a Citi Bike rental outside the Mi- ami Brightline station (about $11 for a two-hour rental) or pony up for an Uber ride. Mark Merwit- zer, policy man- ager of Transit Alliance Miami, says the organiza- tion hopes Bright- line can figure out a way to allow for bike storage in the future. In the meantime, he tells New Times it is critical for Brightline to evolve to meet the needs of the community and to be more accessible, cit- ing the pricey tickets as a barrier for commuters. “Frankly, the only stop that Brightline serves right now that has a built-out bike network is the Miami Central Station, which is critical. But, you go to Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, where it also serves, it’s just a nightmare to get to those stations,” Merwitzer says. Brightline has its own bike rental operation in West Palm Beach, with 17 listed bicycle docks in the downtown area. The pay-as-you-go rental rate is $2.75 for 30 minutes. The company says it will continue to allow some forms of self-transportation implements on its upscale trains. “We understand the importance of alterna- tive modes of transportation for our guests and will continue to accommodate regular-sized scooters and folding bikes,” the company tells New Times. Brightline’s highly anticipated Orlando sta- tion has not come online despite the company’s plans to open it by September 1. The company is now aiming to launch service from South Florida to the Orlando station by the end of the month. For those willing to trade the snazzy comforts of Brightline cabins for functionality, Tri-Rail still allows bicycles and electric bikes aboard its trains. [email protected] “THERE IS NOTHING ‘ECO- FRIENDLY’ ABOUT RUNNING TRAINS NOT EQUIPPED TO CARRY FULLY ASSEMBLED BICYCLES.”
